Scarlett's POV:
I swore that I was not a person of weak will.
But when such a perfect man like Charles pouted and acted like a spoiled brat, I did not think any woman could refuse him. So that I could leave as soon as I could, I promised him that I would finish dinner with him and then go meet Nina.
I was absentminded during the entire meal because I was not that hungry. Also, Charles had been watching me and flashing me playful smiles, which made me uneasy. I only felt relieved when dinner was finally done.
Charles kept his word and drove me to the bar.
However, after opening the car door for me and letting me out, he stood in my way.
"Scarlett, drinking is bad for your health, and it's easy to get into trouble when you've had too much of it. Don't drink more than three glasses of wine, and don't stay for more than half an hour inside. I'll wait for you here," Charles declared as he looked down at me.
I rolled my eyes and heaved a frustrated sigh. "Charles, I'm an adult. I know how to conduct myself in a bar. I don't need you to tell me how much alcohol I should drink or how much time I should spend with my friend. Honestly, do you really see me as some girl who doesn't know her limits?"
My snapping apparently intimidated Charles. He raised both his hands in surrender and stepped back.
"Very well. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said so much. I'm just worried about you, okay?" he said.
I grabbed my purse, walked past him, and headed straight to the bar.
"Stay as long as you want. I'll wait for you here," he yelled after me.
I kept walking. "Go home, Charles. I can take care of myself."
As soon as I entered the bar, I saw Nina waving at me. I smiled, walked over to her, and sat down. "Hey, Nina. How did you know about this place? It's really nice and buzzing. I love the decoration." "This is Spencer's new bar. I thought you knew about it. He told me I could swing by whenever I wanted and put my bill on his tab." Nina put on a charming smile and flipped her curly hair.
"Since when did you and Spencer get so close?" I asked curiously.
She giggled and poked me with her elbow. "Oh, please. We're not here to talk about me and Spencer. We're here to talk about you and Charles. So what's your deal? I saw the message before you withdrew it. Are you really a couple? I mean, he's been coming to the office to see you and everything."
Nina leaned in and stared at me with great interest.
I felt a little embarrassed under her probing gaze.
"No, we're not a couple."
"Honey, I just said I saw the message. Don't tell me you just happened to type the wrong word.
Aren't we good friends? Why can't you tell me the truth?" Nina refused to give up.
Looking at her, I knew I could not hide anymore. She had always been kind to me, and I had known her to be the kind of person that I could trust. Finally deciding to tell her the truth, I took a deep, steadying breath.
"As you know, the president of the Lively Group came to the office to see me a few days ago. He's actually Rita's father. When my father was alive, he had been involved in a lawsuit with him." I weighed my words carefully and left out the part where Nate expressed his depraved desire to keep me as his mistress. Then, I continued, "Charles found out about it and came to the station to ask me about it. He wanted to know what Rita's father had said to me. And yes, we're indeed a couple. We've been married for a few years."
I felt a little sheepish telling Nina about my secret marriage. It was like I was back in high school and telling my best friend about the forbidden relationship I was having with the school bad boy. I had never felt sillier in my entire life.
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